Anglian Water with the help of Advizzo’s behavioural science and data science platform has been able to reduce water consumption by 8% for Newmarket’s measured customers over 12 months.

Due to the use of behavioural science, about a quarter of this saving has been delivered, which from 4,500 or so properties, is around 18,500 litres per day.

This saving comes only after the first year and more savings are expected in the future as engagement increases.

Anglian Water intended to reduce per property consumption (PPC) in the east of England to improve customer satisfaction and go beyond OFWAT’s ongoing per capita consumption (PCC) guidelines and help preserve the environment.

In 2014, the firm was keen to explore customers’ role in this process and appointed Paul Glass as Smart Metering Programme Manager.

In his role, Paul had to find an effective way to communicate the benefits of reducing water consumption to residents in the east of England.

Work had already commenced in this area. Anglian Water commissioned a trial between 2012 and 2016, thereby allowing residents with internal meters in the east of England have access to a Water Display, which is tagged to their meter to measure their water use in real-time.

Through this trial, Anglian Water learnt that giving customers an easy way to understand their habitual water use would help reduce PPC.

The company also learnt that through a full customer engagement strategy customers will be incentivised into reducing their water consumption, and increase their satisfaction with the company.

Before this trial, Anglian Water communicated with customers through the bill, or when a customer connected with the company to report a leak.

Following a positive customer response, Anglian Water reviewed how to provide customers with ongoing insights into their water consumption going ahead.

It selected Advizzo to support its customer engagement strategy as it was the most flexible and cost-effective behavioural science provider.

Currently, by using Advizzo and smart metering installations, customers in Newmarket can measure their water use in near real-time, comparing it to similar households in their area.

The project is ongoing, with activity ramping up in Norwich and Colchester.

Anglian Water Smart Metering Programme manager Paul Glass said: “We needed to change the way residents in the east of England think about their water use to help preserve the environment, and sustain resources in the long-term.

“With Advizzo, it’s a win-win. Combining Advizzo with our smart metering programme means households are inextricably connected to their water use. They can reduce their consumption, and have peace-of-mind about their metered bill, while we help protect natural resources.”

Advizzo and Anglian Water developed a water consumption portal, which informs Newmarket residents in terms of their water consumption, and their rating use against similar households.

Advizzo offers these insights by analysing the smart meter data and educating residents through behavioural science techniques, such as social norm messaging and incentives.

The portal will soon provide personalised tips on how to lower water use, using data from an online consumer survey designed to understand each individual household and its habitual consumption.

These insights will help residents to have a heightened social awareness of the average water consumption, as well as incentivise them to reduce their bills.

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